CHAPTER 9

The Genesis Flood

The book of Genesis tells us about three spectacular events which have taken place in
history. Every creationist recognizes that these three events happened just as the
Bible teaches. On the other hand, these three events are usually ignored or
denied by the
evolutionists, as if they never really took place. Sometimes Bible believers are ridiculed
because they believe in these great events. In spite of what evolutionists teach, the
world today gives unmistakable evidence that these three events really happened,
and
it is impossible to correctly understand and interpret the facts of science unless we
recognize these
three supernatural
events.

1) Supernatural Creation (Genesis Chapters 1-2).

As we have already studied in chapter 4, the Bible clearly teaches that CREATION took
place about 7,000 years ago (see Chapter 6) during a six day period (see Exodus 31:17
and also Chapter 4),
which we call the creation week. Nothing, therefore, is being created today! The work of
creation is F_______________ (Genesis 2:1)! Scientists often say that "matter is
neither being created or destroyed." No new matter is coming into existence! Today it
is impossible to observe the CREATOR CREATING (see
Chapter 3)! We can only observe the
CREATORS FINISHED CREATION and we can thank God for how wonderfully and fearfully
everything was made!

Evolutionists claim that the evolutionary process is still taking place today. They
believe that the god of evolution is still able to produce higher and better and more
complex forms of life, (if he has enough TIME). Many evolutionists believe that
matter has always existed.

Communism Teaches That
Matter Is Eternal.

Communism is an atheistic philosophy and the theory of evolution is one
of its pillars. Since they deny God, the
Communists also deny that there is a Creator. If nothing has ever been
created, then matter must be eternal. This is a materialistic philosophy
that is totally contrary to reality and truth.

According to Psalm 90:2, is matter (the mountains, the earth, etc.)
eternal? Who is eternal? _________________ The first verse of the
Communist Bible (if there were such a thing) should read like this: "In
the beginning was MATTER!" How does the Holy Bible begin?
____________________________________ (see also John 1:1-2). Communism
teaches that man is nothing more than matter and that he does not possess
an eternal soul. What does God say? Is man just a body or does he
also possess an eternal soul (Matthew 10:28)?
______________________________________________________

Did the Lord Jesus believe in evolution or
creation (Matthew 19:4)? ________________________________________________
Not only did He believe in creation, but He Himself was the Creator (John 1:3;
Col. 1:16).

2) The Fall Of Man (Genesis Chapter 3).

The great sin of Adam had amazing effects upon planet earth and even upon the
entire universe. Because of man's terrible fall into sin, "the ____________ _____________ groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Romans 8:22). As a
direct consequence of the fall, a divine curse was placed upon the earth (Genesis
3:14-19). Today, as we study and observe the world around us, we discover that we live
in
a sin-cursed earth, filled with DISEASE, DECAY and DEATH! Explain how the following remind
us of the Adamic curse:

e. The Obituary Column in a Newspaper
___________________________________________________________________

f. Genesis chapter 5 (the tombstone chapter; see the common phrase: "And he
died)
___________________________________________________________________

Will this curse remain forever (Revelation 22:3)?___________

How did Adam's sin affect you (Romans 5:12)?
________________________________________ Who is the only One who can counteract
what Adam did (Romans 5:17-19)? _____________________________

Life is short;
Death is sure;
Sin the cause;
Christ the cure!

3) The Worldwide Genesis Flood (Genesis Chapters 6-8).

God has carefully given to us three chapters in the book of Genesis describing the
extraordinary flood which took place in the days of Noah thousands of years ago. Did such
an event really take place? In this chapter, we will study this
important flood which had such an impact upon this world that the earth has never been the
same since!

1A. The Historicity of the Flood

Was the Genesis Flood a real historical event, or was it merely an imaginary story
which was written in order to teach men spiritual lessons? This very
important question relates to the truthfulness of God's Word, the
Bible. Is the Bible true and reliable and trustworthy? Can we believe that the events
recorded in the Bible actually happened? Is the Bible an accurate and
inerrant record of history? The God of truth would never mislead us.
His Word does not misrepresent what really happened. When we read God's
description of a flood which covered the entire earth, we can believe every word
of it. God cannot _______ (Titus 1:2).

According to Luke 17:27, did the Lord Jesus believe that a flood once came and
destroyed the world? ______ As Christians, should we believe the same? _______ If the
Genesis Flood never really happened, then Jesus was mistaken! Is it possible for
the Son of God to ever be mistaken? ______ If the Genesis Flood was an actual
historical event,
then most evolutionists are mistaken! Is it possible for evolutionary scientists
to be mistaken? ________

Did the writer of the book of Hebrews believe in Noah and the ark (Hebrews 11:7)?
______ Did Ezekiel believe Noah was a real person (Ezekiel 14:14,20)? ______ Did the
Apostle Peter believe in the Genesis Flood (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:5-6)? _______

A pastor was preaching his
sermon on Sunday morning, and in the middle of the message he exclaimed,
"God said it; I believe it; That settles it!"
Suddenly a little ten-year-old girl spoke up, "Pastor, You're wrong!"

The Pastor was not used to such interruptions
and was a bit startled. "Little girl, why do you say I'm wrong?
I simply said, 'God said it; I believe it; That settles it.' "

The girl insisted, "Pastor, You're wrong. God
said it and that settles it whether you believe it or not!"

2A. The Extent of the Flood

Was the Flood a worldwide flood (extending throughout the entire world) or a
local flood (covering only a local area such as Mesopotamia)? Did the flood waters cover
the entire earth, or just one small section of the earth?

Genesis 7:19-20 says, "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the
______________; and ______ the high hills, that were ___________
_______
____________ ______________, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the
_______________ were __________________." The mountains under the whole heaven were
covered! Does that sound like a local flood or a worldwide, universal flood?
________________________________________ If the highest ground is
covered, what does that tell us about the lower ground?

2 Peter 3:6 also describes the flood: "Whereby the ___________ that then was,
being _______________ ________ _____________, perished." Was the entire world destroyed by
this flood? _______

Read the promise God made to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9:8-17. God promised that He
would never again send a flood to destroy ______ _____________ (Genesis 9:11) and to
destroy ______ ______________ (Genesis 9:15). Has God kept His promise? _____ Since the
great flood in the days of Noah, has God ever sent local floods to destroy men and beasts?
______

Here is a description of some devastating local floods and other disasters
caused by water:

Our nation will never forget what happened to Johnstown,
Pennsylvania, in 1889, when 20,000,000 tons of water from Conemaugh Lake swept into the
city and killed 2,200 people. The Ohio and Mississippi River floods of 1937 killed 400,
left 1,000,000 homeless, and destroyed $500,000,000 worth of property. In South America,
in May of 1970, an avalanche of water, rocks, and mud, rushing nearly 100 miles an hour
down the slopes of the Andes, totally buried the Peruvian cities of Yungay and Ranrahirca
with 14,000 inhabitants. Six months later, on the other side of the world, a ghastly
25-foot high wave driven by winds of from 100 to 150 miles an hour rolled in from the Bay
of Bengal to annihilate the overcrowded lowlands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta in
the dead of night. The death and destruction rank with the worst the world has known
[not counting the Genesis Flood].
Whole islands were inundated. Families and villages were instantly wiped out by the wall
of water.... The most reliable estimates put the number of dead at half a million,
but the toll could reach a million. And throughout a 3,000 square mile area, 3,500,000
were left homeless (John C. Whitcomb, Jr, The World That Perished, p.69).

Did God break His promise to Noah by sending these local floods which have destroyed
thousands of men and animals? _____ God did not promise that there would never be
destructive local floods, but He did promise that there would never again be a flood to
destroy ALL FLESH ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, as there was in the days of Noah. Has God kept
His Word? ________

3A. The Duration of the Flood

How long did the flood last? How long did the rain last (Genesis 7:12)?
___________________________________________ When the rain stopped, did Noah and his
family get out of the ark (see Genesis 7:24; 8:3-4)? _______ When the ark rested on Mt.
Ararat, did Noah and his family get out of the ark (see Genesis.8:4-12)?_______
Actually, Noah and his family were in the ark for more than a year! Do local floods last
that long? ______ Even very severe local floods may only last for a few days!

The Time
Sequence of the Flood

First the rain fell
for 40 days (during this time the waters reached their great
depth). See Genesis 7:4.

Then
the waters prevailed upon the earth (that is, the waters maintained their
great depth) for 110 days (Genesis 7:24).

Next, the
waters were "going and decreasing" for 74
days (Genesis 8:5).

After
40 more days Noah sent out the raven (Genesis 8:6-7).

After
7 more days
Noah sent out the dove for the first time (Genesis 8:8 and compare 8:10).

After
7 more days he sent the dove for the second time
(Genesis 8:10).

After
7 more days Noah sent out the dove for the third time
(Genesis 8:12).

After
86 more days
the earth had dried to the point where they could depart from the ark and
settle elsewhere (Genesis 8:13-14).

TOTAL DAYS IN
THE ARK: 371

Thus, Noah and
his family spent more than a year in the ark!

Note: For a
more detailed analysis of these calculations, see The Genesis Flood,
by John Whitcomb and Henry Morris, p. 3.

4A. The Survivors of the Flood

How many people were saved in the ark and able to survive this terrible judgment of God
(1 Peter 3:20)? ______________________ Who were these eight people (Genesis
8:16)?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Were there any other survivors (Genesis 8:17,19)?
___________________________________________________________________________________

Use your imagination. What if God were to send a contagious disease
upon the earth that was so deadly that everyone on earth died except for eight
survivors. Suppose you were one of the survivors. What would you
think? You would probably ask these questions: Why did God destroy
almost every person on earth? What did man do to deserve such a terrible
judgment? If the punishment fits the crime, what crime did mankind commit?

Read Genesis chapter 6. What verses tell us of the terrible wickedness
of man that brought about the judgment of a worldwide flood?
_______________________________________________________________

If we learn no other lesson from the Genesis Flood, we should learn this:
Man's wickedness results in God's judgment. God must judge sin.
Sin cannot go unpunished. As we think about Calvary's cross we learn
the same lesson: Sin cannot go unpunished. In order to save
us, God punished our Substitute.

As we think about Noah
and those who were with him on the ark, there are several questions that people always
seem to ask. Let's try to answer some these questions:

1) Why did some animals enter two by two and some seven by seven?

According to Genesis 6:19-20 (see also Genesis 7:9,15), how many animals of every kind
were to come into the ark? ___________________________________ According to Genesis 7:2-3, how
many animals were to come into the ark? ___________________________________________________________The
animals which were taken by sevens were called C___________ animals (Genesis
7:2). What did Noah do with these clean animals after the flood (Genesis 8:20)?
______________________________________________________ If Noah had taken only
two of every kind of clean animals, and then sacrificed them after the flood,
all of the clean animals would today be EXTINCT! To insure that
these animals would be able to mate and multiply after the flood, additional clean
animals were taken in order to be used for sacrifices.

2) How could all those animals fit into the ark?

Noahs Ark was the largest sea-going vessel ever built until the late nineteenth
century when giant metal ships were first constructed.

The dimensions of the ark are given in Genesis 6:15.

How long was it? _____________________
How wide was it? _____________________
How tall was it? _____________________

A cubit was about 18 inches (1½ feet). [It is the distance from the
elbow to top of the middle finger of an average man.] Can you give the above dimensions in units of
feet?

How long was it? _____________________________
How wide was it? _____________________________
How tall was it? ___________________________

Thus, the ark was 1½ times as long as a football field (which is 300 feet long)! One
writer has estimated that the total volume (inside space) was 1,396,000 cubic feet.
Imagine waiting at a railroad crossing while 10 freight trains, each pulling 52
boxcars move slowly by, one after another! That is how many boxcars could fit inside the
ark (520)! There was plenty of room for Noah, his family, the animals and food for them
all (John C. Whitcomb, Jr., The World That Perished, p. 23).

The ark was a huge barge. Inside there were three floors or three decks
with 95,000 square feet of total floor space. There were probably thousands of
"rooms" or compartments in the ark (Genesis 6:14), more than enough space for
every air-breathing animal in the world.

Read Genesis 7:13-16. Was there room for everyone before God shut the door? ________ If
God designed the ark, do you think He would make a mistake and design it too small?
__________

3) How did Noah get all the animals into the ark?

Did Noah have to chase after two rabbits and wrestle with two gorillas in order to get
them to come into the ark? According to Genesis 2:19, who brought the animals to Adam?
_______________ Do you think the same Person was able to bring the animals to the ark?
_________ We have many examples in the Bible of animals obeying God's
commands. After each passage of Scripture, write down what animal obeyed
God:

4) How could Noah and his family live with so many animals in a floating ark
for over a year?

Would eight people be able to feed and take care of all those animals? What about the
sanitation problem? Who would carry away the manure? These are some of the questions
people often ask.

Were Noah and his family all alone in that ark, or was some other Person with them
(Genesis 7:1,16)? Was God able to feed and take care of the children of Israel for forty
years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:7; 8:2-4; 29:5-6)? _______ Is the same God able to
feed and take care of Noah, his family and the animals for one year in the ark?
______ Is that same God able to take care of our needs today (Philippians 4:19)?
______

Note: It is also possible that God could have reduced to a minimum some of the bodily
functions of these animals. It is even possible that they could have gone
into some kind of state of hibernation. Consider, for example, the bodily process of reproduction. Two
rabbits entered the ark and one year later only two came out! Is this normal?

5) How could Noah construct such an ark?

Who gave Noah the blueprint for the ark (Genesis 6:14-16)? _______________________ Does God give good directions and instructions? ________ Did
Noah follow those instructions (Genesis 6:22)? _______ When we do what God tells us to do,
that is called FAITH (see Hebrews 11:7)!

How long did Noah have to build the ark (Genesis 6:3; compare 1 Peter 3:20)?
____________________ How long did it take to construct the great temple in the city of
Jerusalem (John 2:20)? _____________________ Noah had almost three times as much time to
prepare the ark! It was an enormous building project, but Noah had the
time to do it, and God provided the blueprint and gave detailed directions.

5A. The Geological Implications of the Flood

If there really was a universal, worldwide flood in the days of Noah, lasting over one
year, and covering earths highest mountains, then this would have been the most
significant geological catastrophe that our world has ever experienced! If thunderstorms
and hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes can bring such destruction and cause violent
and sudden changes in the features of the earth, what would a worldwide flood have done?
Even local floods can have disastrous effects upon the surface of the earth. Here are some
recent examples:

"Modern river floods have been known to carry boulders weighing hundreds of tons
for great distances in a matter of hours and to excavate deep gorges and to sweep away
entire forests. A single brief flood in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles eroded
and redeposited up to 100,000 cubic yards of debris from each square mile of the
watershed. At Rherbourg, France, a breakwater was composed of large rocks and capped with
a wall 20 feet high. Storm waves hurled 7,000 pound stones over the wall and moved 65-ton
concrete blocks 60 feet.

Now if local floods can accomplish such destruction in our modern world, what may be
said of a flood so gigantic that it rose above the very highest mountains and swept
over the entire earth for twenty-two weeks before it even began to subside?
Obviously, every movable object would have been swept away and the crust of the earth
would never be the same again (John C. Whitcomb, Jr., The World That
Perished, p.
69-70).

Scientists who take God at His Word
believe that some of the earth's most remarkable and spectacular formations can
be better explained in light of the Genesis Flood. One such example is the
Grand Canyon. To think that this massive canyon was formed over a period of
millions of years by the Colorado River slicing through it does not make
sense. It is better to understand that this canyon was formed
rapidly by the powerful forces of a much larger body of water (perhaps a massive
amount of water suddenly released). A similar
canyon, though on a much smaller scale, was formed as the result of the Mount
St. Helens volcano in 1980. This was an amazing example of how a canyon can be
formed as the result of a catastrophe and it doesn't require thousands or
millions of years.

6A. The Flood and Fossils

Fossils (the hardened remains of animals or plants) are not usually being
formed today. When an animal dies, its body decomposes or is eaten by other animals. Today
when a fish dies, it does not become fossilized; but usually other animals will eat the
dead fish. "The buffalo carcasses strewn over the plains in uncounted millions two
generations ago have left hardly a present trace. The flesh was devoured by wolves or
vultures within hours or days after death, and even the skeletons have now largely
disappeared, the bones dissolving and crumbling into dust under the attack of
weather" (Carl O. Dunbar, Historical Geology, p. 39). Did lions ever roam
around Palestine (Job 38:39; Proverbs 22:13; 2 Kings 17:25)? ______ Yet, no fossil of a
lion has ever been found in Palestine (John C. Whitcomb, Jr., The World That
Perished,
p. 76)

How then were most of the billions of fossils of plants and animals formed? Could it be
that most of the fossils were formed as millions of plants and animals were destroyed in
the Genesis Flood and then buried in mud and fossilized? Scientists agree that most
fossils were formed by water, even those fossils that are found on the tops of mountains!

7A. Spiritual Implications of the Flood

Why do most scientists and geologists reject the idea that there was once a universal,
worldwide flood on planet earth? The answer is this: If there actually were such a flood,
then there really is a GOD IN HEAVEN WHO CAUSED IT!! If the Genesis Flood
actually destroyed
all sinful men from off the face of the earth, then this proves that God is a GOD OF
JUDGMENT! If God hated sin in the days of Noah, does that mean that God still hates sin
today? ________ If God judged sinful men in the days of the Genesis Flood, does that mean
that God is able to do the same today? ________ Today, unbelieving men are saying,
"Where is the ________ of _______________" (Malachi 2:17). The Genesis Flood reminds all men
that THERE IS A GOD OF J___________________!

In 2 Peter 3:3-4 we are told about a group of MOCKERS. Do these mockers believe that
Jesus will come again to judge the world? _______ Do they believe that God will step into
history to judge sinners just as He did in the days of Noah (2 Peter 3:4-6)?
_______ It has been nearly 2000 years since Christ went back to heaven, and the
promise of His coming has not yet been fulfilled. How do we explain this? Please do the
following MATCHING:

1._____This is what the believer in Christ
says.

2._____This is what the MOCKERS say.

A) The reason Christ has not returned for
nearly 2000 years is because God has broken his promise. God is not going to judge
the world and Christ is not going to come again (2 Peter 3:3-4).

B) The reason Christ has not returned for
nearly 2000 years is because God is a longsuffering God who patiently waits for men to
come to Christ. God is going to judge the world and Christ is going to come, just as He
promised. From Gods point of view, Christs coming has only been delayed for
two
days (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Was God longsuffering in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20)? _______ How long
did God wait before He brought the waters of the flood (Genesis 6:3)?
________________________________ Is God longsuffering towards us today (2 Peter
3:9)? _______ How long has God waited in this day of grace before bringing
judgment upon a sinful world? It has been about two thousand years since
wicked men crucified Christ. We do not know for sure how long it will be before
God brings cataclysmic judgment upon this world, but it may be soon. The
judgments that God will bring upon this world during the tribulation period are
described in Revelation chapters 6-19. The fire judgment that God will
bring upon this world after the thousand year kingdom of Christ is described in
2 Peter chapter 3.

How many doors were on the ark (Genesis 6:16)? ________ At the end of the 120 years,
what did God do (Genesis 7:16)? __________________________________ What happened to all
the people who did not go through this door (Genesis 7:21-23)?
___________________________________________________________________
Were there many who went through this door (1 Peter 3:20)? ______

How many doors of salvation are there today (John 10:9; John 14:6)? _________
Who is the door (John 10:9)? ____________ What will happen to those who refuse
to go through this one door (Luke 13:3,5)? _____________________________________
Do many people go through this door (Matthew 7:13-14)? _______ Has the door of
salvation been shut yet, or is it still possible to enter in (2 Corinthians 6:2;
Revelation 22:17)? ________________________________________

HAVE YOU ENTERED IN? NOW IS THE TIME TO ENTER; TOMORROW THE DOOR WILL BE SHUT!!!

One door, and only one,
And yet the sides are two!
Inside and outside,
ON WHICH SIDE ARE YOU?

Are you in the ark of safety? "IN JESUS I AM SAFE EVERMORE!!" "There
is therefore now no condemnation to them who are IN CHRIST JESUS!" (Romans
8:1) Jesus Christ is our ARK OF SAFETY. Flee to Him. Find your refuge in
Christ. Those who are OUTSIDE are not safe at all. They are unsaved
and unsafe.